FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2004
Illinois shares spotlight in Education Weeks Quality
(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois shared the spotlight with
10 states receiving high marks for its learning standards
and its accountability system an annual review by Education
Week revealed Wednesday.
Our accountability system is strong because of
the learning standards that it is built upon, said
State Supt. Robert Schiller and added that the grade was
an improvement over last years B-.
This years edition of Education Weeks Quality
Counts report includes state report cards. Illinois saw
year-to-year improvement in Standards and Accountability
and School Climate. Illinois received the following letter
grades in the areas of Standards and Accountability, A-;
Improving Teacher Quality, C; School Climate, B- and Resources,
including a C+ for Adequacy, and an F for Equity.
The standards and accountability category was divided
into three major sections: whether a state has clear and
specific standards for what students should know and be
able to do; how the state tests students on those standards;
and how the state hold schools accountable for results.
Illinois took an important step when it adopted
its learning standards, Schiller said. It
didnt stop there, however. We aligned the standards
with the assessments to ensure that we can measure what
students are learning. We are especially proud of this
integral part of our educational system.
According to the Education Week report, Illinois learning
standards makes a strong foundation for Illinois
overall accountability system. Illinois was cited
as one of 14 states whose tests are aligned with their
standards in each subject at elementary, middle and high
school. The state educational system was also credited
for having clear and specific learning standards in English,
mathematics and science in elementary, middle, and high
school. Further, state assessments are tied to a schools
performance, including financial help toward improving
poor performing schools. Even before the sanctions under
the No Child Left Behind Act, Illinois already had consequences
in place for schools that fail to improve including possible
The Quality Counts report also included achievement data
from the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Compared to 2000 NAEP scores Illinois made gains in Math
with 32% of 4th graders performing proficiently
or greater in math, compared to 21% in 2000. Eighth-grade
reading scores saw a five-percentage point jump with 35%
performing proficiently or above.
The report also noted an improvement in School Climate
from a C to B-, but downgraded the Teacher Quality grade
from a C+ to a C. Schiller attributed the lower grade
to the elimination of funding in professional development,
which the state board is considering reinstatement of
in the FY 05 budget.